Jeremy and Rachel Chapter Three
"Jeremy! Be serious!" Rachael laughed. "A werewolf!"
She noticed that Lottie and Jeremy were not laughing. They weren't smiling. In fact, Jeremy appeared to be very hurt that she didn't believe him.
Rachel got up from her seat on the bed. She walked around the room for a minute. She sat back down next to her fiancé. Jeremy was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.
Lottie was leaning forward talking in his ear. "Now, Jeremy, you know it takes people a little time to adjust to news like this. Remember you told Rachel that what you had to tell her was something you don't hear everyday."
"I know, Lottie. Are you wearing any silver jewelry? I'm feeling bad. I have some fever and I'm awful thirsty all of a sudden." Jeremy sat up.
"There's a full moon tonight, Lottie! I forgot all about it! Rachel, I'm sorry, we will have to postpone our plans until another night. That is if you still want to have anything to do with me after finding out about all of this." Jeremy told her.
"Jeremy, I'm not wearing any silver jewelry. I will bring you some water. Do you want some meat? That will help you some." Lottie replied.
'Yes, Lottie, meat will help. Bring me a steak please. I'm very hungry. Lottie, I'm scared, it hasn't been this bad in a while." Jeremy gulped.
"You will be alright, honey. I will tell Jason and Joshua to come get you." Lottie kissed him on the cheek.
"Please be careful, Lottie. I don't want to hurt you." Jeremy said tearfully.
"You won't hurt me, sweetheart." Lottie replied.
"I don't want to injure you or anyone, Lottie. But we have to be careful. Please be careful, Lottie and if I ever start to hurt you badly, you know what to do." Jeremy reminded her.
"Jeremy, I would never ever hurt you so don't be telling me that I know what to do." Lottie frowned. "I am going to get your steak and your water and your brothers."
Lottie left the room.
Rachel was flabbergasted. "This is true, isn't it, Jeremy? You aren't joking."
"Yes, Rachel, it is true. I should have told you before I proposed like my brothers said. If you want to break our engagement, it's okay. I won't hold you to it. I'm sorry." He spoke sadly.
"Jeremy, I love you. I want to marry you. I'm just shocked about this. How often does this happen? Do you actually change into a wolf?" Rachel asked.
"This happens every time there is a full moon so about once a month. Jason and Joshua built a room on to the cabin to put me in when this happens. The room is to keep everyone safe from me and it keeps me safe too." Jeremy explained. "If I bite someone even when I'm not a wolf, that person will become a werewolf. I'm a quadrupedal werewolf. That means I become a four-legged wolf not the bipedal or two-legged man/wolf that some turn into."
"Oh, Jeremy! I imagine it is painful to change from a human to an animal and back again. How long are you a wolf?" Rachel was sad.
"Yes, it is pretty painful. However, it's not as painful as it was when I was growing up. I am a wolf for several hours. I'm not sure how long because the transformation takes some time." Jeremy answered.
"May I come to the cabin with you and your brothers, Jeremy? I know I can't be in the room where you are, but I want to be as close to you as I can." Rachel responded.
"Rachel, I appreciate you wanting to be close to me. It makes me happy that you still care about me and want to help me. But this is such a bad situation. Jason gets upset and Joshua worries himself sick. Maybe next time." He explained.
"Jeremy, honey, let me be there, please. Maybe I can help your brothers." She insisted.
"Sweetheart, you don't know about the sounds I make. The growling, the howling, killing the rabbits and eating them. It's not pretty." Jeremy countered.
Suddenly Jeremy doubled over in pain. "J-J-Jason! J-J-Joshua! H-H-Help!"
Jason and Joshua ran into the room. They had been talking to Lottie when they heard him scream.
"R-R-Rachel, get out, p-p-please!" Jeremy gasped.
"Rachel, go downstairs, please. It will help Jeremy be a little calmer if he knows you are safe." Joshua explained. "You can stay here with Lottie."
"Alright, I will stay with Lottie. You and Jason will be with Jeremy, won't you?" Rachel asked.
"Yes, we will be right outside the door to the security room." Joshua answered.
"Thank you, Joshua. I will pray for all of you." Rachel watched Jason comforting Jeremy. She went downstairs.
"Jeremy, where does it hurt, brother?" Jason held him carefully.
"All over. It won't be long until the transforming starts." Jeremy moaned in pain.
Lottie hurried in with a large cup of water and the raw steak. Jason helped Jeremy sit in a chair. Joshua held the cup to his brother's mouth while Jeremy gulped the water.
Lottie had cut up the steak. She offered Jeremy a bite on the end of a fork. Jeremy took the bite. When he had chewed and swallowed it, Lottie had another bite ready. Jeremy took it too.
"I asked Ben to save the bloodiest ones for me. I always put a few back for you, sweetheart." Lottie offered him another bite.
Jeremy took the third bite of steak from Lottie and ate it. He drank some more water. The pain started again.
"We need to go, J-J-Jason." He spoke. "Come on, J-J-Joshua."
When Jeremy tried to stand up, his knees buckled due to the pain. Jason picked up Jeremy.
"Let's go, Josh! We have to hurry!" Jason's voice quivered.
The two oldest brothers ran down the stairs and out of the saloon. The Bolts ran all the way to their cabin.
Jason carried Jeremy inside and all the way through the cabin to the security room which was on the other side of the cabin next to Jason's bedroom.
"J-J-Jason, hold me for a minute, please, just in case, I don't make it." Jeremy was sweating from the fever. His heart was racing.
Jason sat Jeremy in the double seated chair outside the security room. He sat down next to him and put his arms around him. Jeremy put his head on his brother's chest.
"S-S-Scared J-J-Jason. I love you." Jeremy said.
"I love you, Jeremy. You are going to be alright. Josh and I will be right outside the security room. Jeremy, I wish you would let me come in there with you." Jason gave him a light squeeze.
Jeremy was alarmed. "J-J-Jason, you know that wouldn't be safe. I would kill you. P-P-Please promise me you won't come in there. Think about this. What if you opened the door to come in there and I got out? I could kill a lot of people. The first two would be you and Joshua. Imagine how I would feel in the morning waking up to find that I had killed my brothers." Jeremy sat up and looked his brother in the eye.
Jason sighed. "Don't worry, brother. I won't come in there until it's time to get you out in the morning. It just breaks my heart for you to go through this. I have always wanted to fix this for you, but I can't. I regret so badly that none of us were watching the doctor closely that night when you were a child."
"It's not your fault, Jason. Who would have thought a doctor would bite someone?" Jeremy whispered. "It's time for me to go in the security room, J-J-Jason.
"Wait! Jeremy, I got you some rabbits." Joshua ran in with three live rabbits in a cage. "I was going to kill them for you but then I thought that's part of your, uh, routine."
"Thanks, J-J-Joshua. Poor little rabbits." Jeremy gazed sadly at them for a moment. Then he licked his lips slightly as he craved their flesh.
"The blood tastes better warm." Jeremy looked at his brothers. "It's t-t-time."
Jeremy tried to stand up, however, he was too weak. Jason picked him up and carried him into the security room. He placed his brother on the cot. There was a pallet on the floor along with a food dish and a water dish.
Joshua brought the rabbit cage into the room. He let the rabbits out of the cage.
"We love you, Jeremy." Joshua told him.
"Get out! Get out, quick!" Jeremy growled.
His brothers were shocked to see fangs in Jeremy's mouth. They left the room fast and latched the door.
Jason and Joshua sat down in chairs outside the security room door. They heard Jeremy scream in pain. "J-J-Jason! It h-h-hurts so bad!"
"Oh, my gawd, Joshua! I can't bear it! I just can't bear it! It should have been me instead of Jeremy!" Jason wailed.
Joshua walked over to his brother's chair and held out his arms to him. Jason stood from the chair. He hugged Joshua placing his head on his brother's shoulder. Jason cried gut wrenching sobs as Jeremy began snarling and growling in the security room.
"Joshua, if I could just be in there with Jeremy, I would feel as if I was doing something to help him and that would help me too." Jason said.
"Jason! I know you want to help Jeremy, so do I. But you can't go in there. He would kill you. That certainly wouldn't help him. The best we can do is sit here until it's over." Joshua replied.
"You're right, Josh. I'm sorry. I just hate it when I can't help you or Jeremy." Jason was regaining control of his emotions.
The two older brothers listened as Jeremy snarled and growled viciously as he killed and ate the rabbits. Jason and Joshua glanced at each other with tears in their eyes.
Jeremy was quiet for a few minutes. Then he began whimpering as if he wanted out of the room. A few more minutes went by, and the youngest Bolt began howling at the moon. There was a window in the security room so that Jeremy could see out.
When the howling stopped, Jeremy was quiet for a long time. His brothers wondered if he had gone to sleep.
Jason fixed some coffee while Joshua stayed seated outside the security room. When Jason returned with the coffee, Joshua was asleep. Jeremy was not making any noise.
Jason sat down outside the security room and drank some of the coffee. When he finished, Joshua was snoring softly. Jeremy was still quiet.
Suddenly, Jason had an idea. He could go around to the back of the cabin and look through the window at Jeremy. It wouldn't hurt to look through the window and see his youngest brother. It might help his feelings, Jason thought.
He put on his coat and went out the front door. Jason walked around the cabin quickly. He could see fine by the full moon.
When Jason got to the window, Jeremy was sitting on the floor looking out the window. Jason jumped when Jeremy suddenly howled at the moon.
This was the first time Jason had seen Jeremy in wolf form since he was a child. As horrible as the situation was, Jason couldn't help but think that Jeremy was a beautiful wolf. He looked big and strong. His fur was black and shiny. And his eyes, oh, his eyes! Jeremy's eyes as a wolf were the same as when he was a man. His piercing blue eyes shone against his black fur.
Jason stared into his baby brother's eyes, and he felt certain that his brother was staring back at him. The need to help Jeremy suddenly overwhelmed Jason again.
Jeremy seemed to be very calm. He continued to sit on the floor looking out the window at Jason. The oldest brother decided that it couldn't hurt anything for him to go into the security room with Jeremy for just a few minutes.
"I'll be there in a minute, Jeremy." Jason whispered.
The oldest Bolt went back inside the cabin. He walked very quietly past Joshua who was still sleeping in the chair.
Jason unlatched the door to the security room. He opened the door very slowly.
Jeremy turned away from the window as Jason stepped into the room. He made a low growling sound. Jeremy looked intensely at his brother as if he was looking at prey.
"Jeremy, I'm just going to sit in here with you for a few minutes. There's no harm in that, is there? Two brothers passing the time together for a little while?" Jason asked.
Jason walked through the room being mindful of the carcasses of the rabbits on the floor. He had almost made it to the cot when Jeremy growled and bared his teeth at him.
Jason froze. Jeremy looked ready to pounce on him. The oldest brother realized he had been wrong to do this. He backed slowly to the door.
Suddenly, Jeremy leapt at Jason. "Jeremy! Don't!" Jason yelled as he lunged for the cot and snatched up the mattress.
Jason whacked Jeremy in the face with the mattress. Jeremy was knocked to his feet. He snarled at Jason. Jason held his breath as he anticipated being killed.
Jeremy snarled and growled at his oldest brother. Then he ran out the door of the security room, through the cabin, and out the front door which Jason had left open.
"Jason! What the hell did you do?!" Joshua shouted as he came into the security room with his shotgun in his hand.
Joshua had been awakened by the yelling and snarling and growling. He had jumped up from the chair and ran to get his shotgun just in case.
Jason and Joshua went into the front room. Joshua closed the front door. The two brothers sat down at the table. The blond brother propped his gun against the fireplace.
"Joshua, that wouldn't have done anything." Jason nodded at the shotgun. "You know only silver bullets will kill a werewolf. Not that we want to kill our brother."
"Jason, my shotgun is loaded with silver shotgun shells." Joshua looked sad.
Jason leaned his head a bit to one side. He narrowed his eyes at Joshua.
"Jeremy bought them. He insisted that I load my gun with them when there is a full moon. I told him no. He kept insisting until I did what he wanted." Joshua explained. "Don't look at me like that. Jeremy gets more like you everyday."
Jason smiled slightly. "I don't know if that's a compliment or not."
"Now you tell me something. Why did you go into the security room? What's the point of having the room if you go in there and Jeremy escapes?" Joshua asked.
"It was a foolish stupid thing to do. I can't explain it, Josh. My need to feel as if I was helping Jeremy overcame my common sense, I suppose. Now our brother is in serious danger of killing someone because of my actions." Jason worried.
"Well, hopefully, no one else in Seattle has silver bullets or shotgun shells." Joshua replied. "Jeremy should be home right before daylight if not a little earlier. Maybe he won't kill anybody. Jason, we can't let him get out again."
"I know, Joshua. Jeremy is going to be furious at me." Jason lamented.
"Yes, he is. He depends on us to protect Seattle from him. But it's done now, and we can't change it. Let's say our prayers for Jeremy and for the town and go to bed." Joshua told him.
The two brothers said good night and went to bed.
Jason woke up at daylight. He got up and dressed quickly. He ran through the cabin to the front door. Jason opened the door and went out onto the porch.
"Thank You, Lord!" Jason smiled.
Jeremy in human form was asleep in the rocking chair on the porch. Jason tapped him on the shoulder.
"Jeremy, are you alright?" He asked.
Jeremy opened his eyes. "I'm alright, Jason. Why did you let me get out last night?"
"I'm sorry, Jeremy. I want so badly to help you and somehow, I have it in my mind that my being with you will help you and that seems to be all I can focus on at the time." Jason apologized.
"Jason, you and Josh keeping me in the security room is helping me. Keeping me from killing someone is helping me. I appreciate you wanting to be with me but that's not the best way to help me when I'm a wolf." Jeremy explained.
"That's true, Jeremy. I won't let my heart overrule my head again." Jason replied.
"Okay, Jason." Jeremy smiled.
Joshua came out on to the porch. "Good morning, brothers. Jeremy, are you okay? We were worried about you after Jason let you get out."
"Thanks, Josh. I'm okay. Jason and I have had a talk. He is going to be good from now on." Jeremy answered.
"Yes, I will do my best to do better!" Jason agreed.
The three brothers laughed at Jason's enthusiasm.
"Well, here comes Aaron bright and early." Jason said. "He looks upset."
Aaron walked up to the cabin and stepped on to the porch. He didn't speak.
"Good morning, Aaron. Is something wrong?" Jason asked.
"Good morning. Yes, I'm afraid I have some very bad news. Joshua, I hate to tell you this." Aaron replied.
"What is it, Aaron?" Joshua worried.
Jason and Jeremy stood up from their chairs. They stepped to either side of Joshua.
"Tell us, Aaron." Jason said somberly.
Aaron took a deep breath. He put his hand on Joshua's shoulder. "Joshua, Mary Alice Morgan was killed last night."
"Killed? How, Aaron? Where?" Joshua sank into a chair.
He and Mary Alice grew up together. They dated off and on in school. They had been seeing each other seriously for the past six months.
"Her little brother, Paul, got a new pony last week. Mary Alice woke up during the night last night and Paul wasn't in his bed. Mary Alice figured he was sleeping in the stable with the pony. She went to get him. And she was attacked and killed by some type of animal." Aaron told them.
"Do they know what kind of animal?" Joshua asked evenly.
"No, not yet. I'm sorry, Joshua. I know you and Mary Alice were quite close. She was a lovely girl." Aaron sympathized.
"Thank you, Aaron. Yes, she was a very lovely girl." Joshua sobbed.
"Well, I'd better be going. I'll let you know when I have more information." Aaron advised.
Aaron nodded at Jason and Jeremy as he left. They nodded in return.
"Thank you for coming so soon to let Joshua know." Jason said.
"You're welcome, Jason. It's such a senseless loss." Aaron huffed.
"Yes, it is, Aaron." Jason sighed.
Aaron walked away going toward his office.
Joshua was sitting in the rocking chair with his face in his hands. He was sobbing. Jeremy had his arm across his brother's shoulders.
Joshua sat up and pushed Jeremy away. "Get your arm off of me!"
Jeremy stepped back. "Josh, I was just trying to help."
"I don't want your help!" Joshua shouted.
"Now, Josh, we don't know for sure what happened to Mary Alice." Jason said.
"We know that Mary Alice is dead. We know she was killed by some type of wild animal last night. And we know that our brother, the werewolf was out last night. It seems to me that we know quite a lot, Jason." Joshua told him. "Oh, Jeremy, here is something else that I know. I know that if you killed Mary Alice, you aren't my brother anymore."
The three Bolt brothers hung their heads and cried.
To be continued….